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One thought on “2012 Changes to the Motability Scheme”

Just been reading about the changes to Mob scheme – better late than never – and OMG! I’m one of the ‘lucky’ ones. I’ve never been able to afford Advance payments, my PA is over 21 and lives less than 5 miles away from me, so it looks like I won’t be too badly affected come December when I have to change my car.

I understand that Motability is a charity doing its best to operate in particulary hard times, but do the powers that be really understand how their belt-tightening is affecting the lives of thousands of Disabled people throughout the UK? And why no consultation?

Many PA’s, a lot of them under 25, are only employed on the basis that they can drive. Follow that point to its logical conclusion and it becomes obvious that not only will unemployment be created, but Disabled people’s choices will be lost and independence will sail out the window. And there’s another, even bigger, spanner in the works:

Many councils refuse to fund transport needs for Disabled people, especially if they have a Motability car. The same councils are also reducing wide-space parking spaces so the car can’t be used anyway. If you’re lucky enough to get a bus pass, you can’t get the Carer’s symbol awarded if you’re on the middle/lower DLA Care rate.

So: can’t get on a bus or in a taxi without a PA to push a wheelchair or help with walking difficulties + can’t park your Motability car due to there being no wide spaces + no funding for transport if you have a car that can’t be parked in the first place = stuck at home watching your own life go by without you.